2-day pass through trip in Glacier & Waterton National Park
May 25th, 2016, 10:07 AM
#1
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2-day pass through trip in Glacier & Waterton National Park
We (couple with 3 kids 13, 10 & 6-y) are driving from Portland, OR to Banff area for vacation end of June. On our way to Banff, we want to stay in or around Glacier park for 1 night so we can briefly visit the Glacier & Waterton park.
On June 24 afternoon, we will drive about 6-h to Spokane or a little further east.
On June 25, we will drive from somewhere near Spokane to the west entrance of the Glacier National Park in Montana, after about 4-h drive, we have half day to have a taste of the Glacier park.
On June 26, we have half day to tour Waterton park in Canada before heading to Banff.
Any suggestions/advice appreciated. Especially about the following:
1. any place to stay if we manage to drive a little further east of Spokane?
2. what to do in Glacier and Waterton in this short period of time.
3. The lodging inside the park are already booked so we plan to stay somewhere near the east entrance (or on our way to Waterton park). The Glacier Park Lodge seems good but it seems to be about 1-h south of the east entrance. Due to our time restraints, I want to avoid detour as much as possible. Any lodging recommendations welcome.
On June 24 afternoon, we will drive about 6-h to Spokane or a little further east.
On June 25, we will drive from somewhere near Spokane to the west entrance of the Glacier National Park in Montana, after about 4-h drive, we have half day to have a taste of the Glacier park.
On June 26, we have half day to tour Waterton park in Canada before heading to Banff.
Any suggestions/advice appreciated. Especially about the following:
1. any place to stay if we manage to drive a little further east of Spokane?
2. what to do in Glacier and Waterton in this short period of time.
3. The lodging inside the park are already booked so we plan to stay somewhere near the east entrance (or on our way to Waterton park). The Glacier Park Lodge seems good but it seems to be about 1-h south of the east entrance. Due to our time restraints, I want to avoid detour as much as possible. Any lodging recommendations welcome.
May 25th, 2016, 01:31 PM
#2
East of Spokane, try Coeur d' Alene Idaho. Nice town with a beautiful lake. I like the Meadow Lake resort in Columbia Falls MT if you can't get anything in Glacier.
The Going to the Sun road should be open by the time you get there. Stop for a look at the snow at the top of Logan Pass. The northern Rockies are beautiful no matter which side of the border you are on.
On US 89 south of St. Mary, you may see some horses in the road licking the highway. Be prepared to wait a few minutes.
They are just licking up the road salt.
The Going to the Sun road should be open by the time you get there. Stop for a look at the snow at the top of Logan Pass. The northern Rockies are beautiful no matter which side of the border you are on.
On US 89 south of St. Mary, you may see some horses in the road licking the highway. Be prepared to wait a few minutes.
They are just licking up the road salt.
May 26th, 2016, 11:01 AM
#3
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Thanks very much for your reply. The Meadow Lake resort is on the west side of the Glacier park. Since we are heading to Waterton Park the next day, I am thinking we should stay on the east side of Glacier so that we won't be too rushed the next day.
Any lodging recommendations on the east side of the Glacier park?
Any lodging recommendations on the east side of the Glacier park?
May 26th, 2016, 11:53 AM
#4
Are you driving over the GTTS road in the morning or the late afternoon? If you wanted to drive US 2, check for lodging at the Isaac Walton Lodge.
There's not much in Browning except the museum of the Plains Indian.
There are several places near St. Mary. Did you check them all?
There's not much in Browning except the museum of the Plains Indian.
There are several places near St. Mary. Did you check them all?
May 26th, 2016, 08:44 PM
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Thanks for your reply.
I just booked rooms in the Lake McDonald Lodge.
We will probably drive over to the GTTS road around noon. My understanding is that there are two GTTS routes from the west and the east but they are not through routes so you have to drive the same route back? Then we will drive US 2 to the east entrance of the park.
I just booked rooms in the Lake McDonald Lodge.
We will probably drive over to the GTTS road around noon. My understanding is that there are two GTTS routes from the west and the east but they are not through routes so you have to drive the same route back? Then we will drive US 2 to the east entrance of the park.
May 27th, 2016, 01:52 AM
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You don't backtrack if you are going from Lake McDonald, over the GTTS and ultimately on to Waterton Lakes.
If you are coming back from Waterton and Banff by the "same" route, you can take US 2 around the southern border of GNP. It is still beautiful. But you probably wouldn't do that.
If you are coming back from Waterton and Banff by the "same" route, you can take US 2 around the southern border of GNP. It is still beautiful. But you probably wouldn't do that.
May 27th, 2016, 05:33 AM
#7
You will probably see some snow at the top of Logan Pass but the GTTS road should be open all the way from Lake McDonald to St. Mary by June 25.
If the GTTS road is closed for any reason you will have to backtrack and go by way of US 2 around the southern edge of Glacier NP.
If you have to go the US 2 route, make a stop at the top of Marias Pass and see the monument there.
Watch out for wildlife and horses.
My favorite way from Portland to Glacier is on the Empire Builder and renting a car in Whitefish.
Ansel Adams took a famous picture of Lake McDonald and the mountains about 150 yards from the Lake McDonald lodge.
See if you can duplicate it.
If the GTTS road is closed for any reason you will have to backtrack and go by way of US 2 around the southern edge of Glacier NP.
If you have to go the US 2 route, make a stop at the top of Marias Pass and see the monument there.
Watch out for wildlife and horses.
My favorite way from Portland to Glacier is on the Empire Builder and renting a car in Whitefish.
Ansel Adams took a famous picture of Lake McDonald and the mountains about 150 yards from the Lake McDonald lodge.
See if you can duplicate it.
May 30th, 2016, 09:58 PM
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Thanks for all your replies. We are not coming back from Banff by the same route. We are going through Vancouver instead.
"Currently 29.0 miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road are open for travel. Visitors can drive 15.5 miles from the West Entrance to Avalanche, and 13.5 miles from the St. Mary Entrance to Jackson Glacier Overlook."
We will see if the road will be fully open on our day of travel.
- If yes, we will stay in the Lake McDonnald Lodge area the first day when we arrive. Then drive the GTTS road the next morning directly to Waterton.
- If no, then we will drive the GTTS the day we arrive at the park. The next morning we will drive US 2 to Waterton.
"Currently 29.0 miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road are open for travel. Visitors can drive 15.5 miles from the West Entrance to Avalanche, and 13.5 miles from the St. Mary Entrance to Jackson Glacier Overlook."
We will see if the road will be fully open on our day of travel.
- If yes, we will stay in the Lake McDonnald Lodge area the first day when we arrive. Then drive the GTTS road the next morning directly to Waterton.
- If no, then we will drive the GTTS the day we arrive at the park. The next morning we will drive US 2 to Waterton.
